May 2008

Thoughtful Gift

Are you looking for a gift for a loved one, and want to achieve a high thoughtfulness to cost ratio? I have the solution. I call it the Dilbert Car Kit. For Christmas, I made two for my wife: One for her car and one for mine when she is a passenger in it.

The idea is that you take notice of all the things he or she routinely wishes was in the car on trips. Then you find a generic storage case and fill it with just those items, to keep beneath the seat of the car. It’s nerdily delicious.

Your kit will differ, but the key to making it a good gift is picking the items that are customized to the recipient.

Now some of you will say, “That’s what a glove compartment is for,” or “It’s called a purse.” But we all know that glove compartments are nothing but a practical joke involving crap that falls out when you open the door. And you can never find what you need with the front-load design no matter how long you paw around in there.

Women often change purses, or leave them behind. The car kit fills the gaps.

Comments

Sorry, Scott, my boyfriend made me one of those 3 years ago when he got his Prius with its extra bonus glove compartment and storage console. He also keeps a hair clip and a brush in there for me, eyeglass cleaner and cloth, salty snacks (he prefers sweet snacks), hand lotion, plastic utensils for emergency food consumption, and my favorite: an emery board and orange stick. Oh, and dental floss! Yeah, he takes good care of me.

Many parents have compiled just such kits, sans the catchy name. I used the term "parents," but this could apply to caregivers, grandparents, guardians, spouses, team parents, or anyone else who has chauffered others around on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Although some individuals who "travel smart" may simply be extrememly organized, I'm willing to bet that most people learned to do so the hard way. After one too many trips when someone needed/wanted something that wasn't in the car, I now make it a point to bring along anything and everything which will help circumvent the inevitable whining that good drivers shouldn't have to drown out with Baby Mozart, Metallica, or Lawrence Welk's greatest hits played at maximum volume (never say never).

A thoughtful gift from Scott...THIS Idea from Scott??!! the guy with turd fasination and triple entendre...i want my 5 minutes back with a completely hilarious post...Wally could have done better i thot.

Wow. I already have one of these. But I made my own--my man knows better than to second-guess me on car stuff.

I actually use my glove box for the often-used essentials like the Swiss Army knife, small butane torch, flashlight, ibuprofen, travel wipes, bandaids, spoon, etc. If you store them in ziplocs or a pencil case, they'll stay organized and clean. The sunglasses clip onto the visors, both the main pair and a backup pair. And I have a visor-clip small tissue case, too, so I can actually find and reach a tissue when I need one.

In the back is a tote box with booster cables, various fluids in smaller quantities (brake fluid, oil, antifreeze, PSF, lock de-icer), 12V tire inflator, reflective safety triangle, Tyvek coveralls, latex gloves, electrical tape, cable ties, rad hose quick repair kit, fuses, socket set, adjustable wrench, and screwdriver set. Believe it or not, it all fits in an 18L box (about 2ft long, 1ft wide and a foot and a half deep). In the winter I add a folding steel shovel, traction grips, extra mitts/hat/scarf, and candles. Of course, it helps if you have some idea what to do with these things. I've only had to do roadside repairs maybe three times (in the middle of nowhere, out of cell phone range), but I've helped all kinds of other people out.

I'm still trying to figure out why that one dude wanted to carry an oil filter and 5 litres of oil. How the hell do you lose an oil filter on the road?

A suggestion. Instead of criticizing corporate life only, perhaps explain more of what they can do to improve corporate life. For example, in addition to the 3rd world competition, maybe a utopian company where things actually go "properly." maybe a British utopian society manned and womanned only by aliens since humans don't SEEM to get it right. or a smaller company that beats Dilbert's company b/c it doesn't have all of the red tape and so on.

I think this is a wonderful idea and very thoughtful! Sure, it may seem cheap for a present as some have said..but so were all the homemade crafts I gave as presents as a kid. ;) There are some cases when being thoughtful can override a high cost value. Too many gifts are useless, but expensive. This one is very practical and says you care and pay attention to what she wants when in the car!